Meridian: Keep talking

Published: Thursday, December 12, 2013 at 08:00 AM.

That didn’t persuade Whitman or the Planning Board, which was unanimous in its disapproval. However, because the request is on a property larger than 3 acres, the City Council will make the final decision. It is scheduled to take up the issue at its meeting tonight.

The council doesn’t have to approve it immediately, but neither should it close the door on the project. Pitts and the city should continue discussions on how to allay legitimate safety concerns. Both sides should be negotiating toward “yes.”

When a shopping center that has stood vacant for years intersects with ambitions to turn it into a year-round multipurpose entertainment facility, Panama City Beach officials should be looking for ways to allow those plans to come to fruition.

The decision by the city’s Planning Board to reject a request by the owner of The Meridian project (www.meridianlive.com) to repurpose the old Publix shopping center on Hutchison Boulevard should not be the last word.

The 80,000-square-foot building has been an eyesore since its anchor, Publix, moved in 2009 to its current location on Back Beach Road. Chris Pitts, who formerly worked at Club La Vela, wants to remodel the property into what he calls a “House of Blues”-type restaurant/concert venue/meeting facility. His website envisions a “Southern chic menu” along with “live jazz, blues, comedians and specially themed dining nights.” It also promotes space for meetings, conventions and weddings, even indoor athletic events.

It’s a concept unique to the beach, and sounds like something that would appeal year-round to locals as well as visitors, and not be just another cog in the seasonal tourism machine. Residents have been requesting those kinds of businesses and entertainment options. The fact that The Meridian would revitalize a long-vacant property adds to its appeal.

Nevertheless, officials, including Police Chief Drew Whitman, raised concerns about The Meridian, such as traffic, parking, noise and safety. For instance, Pitts indicated events could draw 3,000 people, whereas the parking lot accommodates only 300 vehicles. Several residents from surrounding neighborhoods The Glades, Gulf Highlands and Palm Cove also spoke in opposition to the project.

The property sits at the busy intersection of Hutchison Boulevard and Richard Jackson Boulevard, a mixed commercial and residential area. The Meridian would not be a noisy open-air venue, it won’t be a strip club, and it doesn’t appear to be as youth-oriented and raucous as a Spring Break nightclub.

Pitts told the Planning Board that he worked with the vacant property’s owner on a lease agreement that includes self-imposed restrictions on the property. They include a limit on the number of concerts during the college Spring Break season in March to one per week and state that the building could not be used as a nightclub.

That didn’t persuade Whitman or the Planning Board, which was unanimous in its disapproval. However, because the request is on a property larger than 3 acres, the City Council will make the final decision. It is scheduled to take up the issue at its meeting tonight.

The council doesn’t have to approve it immediately, but neither should it close the door on the project. Pitts and the city should continue discussions on how to allay legitimate safety concerns. Both sides should be negotiating toward “yes.”